Bank Statement Tie-Out Checklist

A free one-page checklist for bookkeepers and accountants who convert bank statement PDFs to Excel or CSV. Maintained by ZeraBooks. Last updated November 2026.

The one rule

A converted statement is complete when opening balance + money in − money out = the closing balance the bank printed. Check it per account, never across a whole PDF. If the difference isn't 0.00, a row is missing, doubled or has the wrong sign.

The five-minute checklist

1. Opening + in − out = printed closing, per account. The only proof that every row arrived.

2. Remove summary boxes, subtotals and daily balance tables. They look like rows and double the month.

3. Signs: a trailing minus (612.40-) is negative. Losing it puts you off by twice the amount.

4. Dates: take the year from the statement period. Statements that cross December and January often print no year.

5. Lines with no amount are not rows. Ticket numbers and foreign currency notes: a "750.00 AUD" note read as a charge adds $750.

6. Transfers between two accounts on the same statement. Real on each account, double counted if you total both.

7. Check numbers in their own column, without asterisks. "2043*" won't match 2043 in a check register.

8. Card statements: previous balance − payments + charges = new balance. And per card member if the bank prints member totals.

What each bank does differently

PNC. Negative balances are printed with the minus after the number (612.40-). The Daily Balance table and the fee summary's year-to-date column are not activity. Worked month: PNC bank statement to Excel

TD Bank. Activity is split into blocks (Deposits, Checks Paid, Electronic Payments, Service Charges), each with a subtotal. An asterisk on a check number marks a gap in the sequence. Worked month: TD Bank statement to Excel

U.S. Bank. Statement periods often cross the month and print dates without a year, and withdrawals carry a trailing minus. Worked month: U.S. Bank statement to Excel

Citi. A combined statement puts checking, savings and CDs in one PDF, each with its own Opening Balance and Closing Balance lines inside the table. Worked month: Citi bank statement to Excel

American Express. The billing period closes mid-month, charges are grouped by card member with a total for each, and some lines carry details with no amount. Worked statement: American Express statement to Excel

Doing this for a lot of statements

The checklist works in any spreadsheet. If you convert dozens of statements a month, a converter that runs check 1 for you per account saves the most time. The ZeraBooks bank statement converter proves every statement against its printed balances before you download it, and marks anything that doesn't tie.

About

Made by ZeraBooks, an AI-native general ledger, bank statement converter and done-for-you bookkeeping service for small businesses and accounting firms. The example statements behind the bank pages are fictional and made to add up; the layouts are read from real statements with no customer data. Corrections welcome: support@zerabooks.com